Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed to Google that her government will consider legal action regarding the naming of the ocean space between northeastern Mexico and southeastern United States as the “Gulf of America.” A disagreement emerged when former U.S. President Donald Trump proposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico, which led to international political conflicts.
Sheinbaum made it clear at the press conference that the U.S. continental shelf naming decision by Trump does not extend to Mexican Gulf waters because Mexico holds full sovereignty over its Gulf region. She made it clear that Mexico protects the Gulf of Mexico name, which has historical and international recognition, and stands ready to defend this designation.
The official Mexican opposition to Google’s use of “Gulf of America” has not stopped the company from displaying this name in certain regions. The company explained its naming practices follow official government sources. Google Maps shows different names for the Gulf depending on where users are located since U.S. users view “Gulf of America,” yet other users see “Gulf of Mexico” or both names appearing together.
Sheinbaum stands firmly against the name alteration since the Gulf has a historical legacy from 1607 and the United Nations recognizes its name. She used Mexican constitutional history to show that North America used to be known as “Mexican America” in order to challenge Trump’s claims.
This proposed lawsuit displays both the growing problems related to digital sovereignty and the power tech companies have to affect worldwide geopolitical disputes. Legal action from Mexico has the potential to establish legal standards for challenging corporate decisions regarding geographic names. Presently the Gulf retains contested status as a symbol that reflects the fundamental dispute about history along with national sovereignty and international recognition.
